Singleness | AGW MINISTRIES

Why Pray If God Is Sovereign?

August 26, 2018June 4, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

When we begin to learn about God’s sovereignty, the temptation is to turn into the “frozen chosen” who use God’s power as an excuse to be lazy. If God is in total control of everything, why pray at all?

Certainly this is a multi layered question that could be talked about endlessly in the theological classroom. The more pressing concern is when the idea of God’s sovereignty hinders your prayer life in a very negatively practical way. This is not what God wants.

So to answer the question, “Why pray if God is Sovereign?”, perhaps a counter question will help us see the Bible’s answer: “Why would you pray if God wasn’t sovereign?”

Q&A About Singleness

June 19, 2016May 28, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

q&A topic singleness — 1 Corinthians 7:1-40, 1 Timothy 2:15

Before I married Bethany and I was still single, I remember having so many questions about singleness. Am I called to singleness? Is being single more holy? How do I know if God wants me to be married or not? Is marriage a command? These questions and more were always lingering in my mind.

I certainly was not alone. Singleness brings many questions to many people. The Bible talks a lot about singleness, but sometime it can be a bit confusing. What follows is a “question and answer” dialogue between me and Alice. The beautiful thing about having an online ministry is that you can connect with people across the entire world. Alice has been enjoying ApplyGodsWord.com from another country and has given me permission to share our online Q&A.

Let God Fulfill God’s Promises to You

September 3, 2018April 7, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

Genesis 15:4-6, Genesis 16:1-3, Genesis 17:18-19, Genesis 18:13-15

Imagine a man who loved a woman, but he was going off to war and he didn’t know when he would be back. Before he left he promised her that when he returned, he would marry her. How odd would it be if the woman jumped the gun and went out and bought her own engagement ring? She wanted the promise to be fulfilled, but she did not want to wait, so she took matters into her own hands.

God is a God of promises. He promises good for those who love him. He promises to save those who put their faith in Jesus. He promises to take care of us when we trust him. Throughout nearly every page of Scripture a promise can be found by God.

Life is a journey. The path to God is straight and narrow (Matthew 7:14). But throughout the journey of life there are so many ways to veer away from God. Perhaps one of the most common ways is to seek God’s promises and blessings in your own power.

How to Know If God Is Calling You to Singleness

July 7, 2018February 26, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

Perhaps one of the most prevalent questions amongst single Christians is, “How will I know if God wants me to get married or remain single?” Marriage is a big deal to God. Marriage is central to reflecting the gospel (Ephesians 5:22-33), it is the way God has ordained the human race to be populated (Genesis 1:28), and thus most Christians are called to be married. There are many Christians, however, who are called to singleness. So how will you know if God is calling you to singleness?

(Watch this short video to help you know if God is calling you to singleness.)

You May Be Called By God to Singleness If You Know Your Whole Focus Should Be on Ministry

Often times the problem is that the church you attend values marriage or singleness more than the other. The Bible makes clear, however, that both marriage and singleness are equally important callings from God. 1 Corinthians 7:38 states, “So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better.”

Love Anyway

August 2, 2018February 12, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”-Genesis 2:15-17

Loving is dangerous. It comes with so much potential for pain because true love must involve real choice. The definition of risk is to “expose (someone or something valued) to danger, harm, or loss.” This sounds a lot like real love.

Sexual Purity: How the Church Often Get’s It Wrong

February 25, 2018January 26, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

Psalm 51:10
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

The American Church has gotten the issue of sexual purity backwards. The idea is presented to youth groups across the country that it is utterly crucial for them to “remain pure.” When they are virgins, they have their purity. If they have premarital sex, however, they will lose their purity.

True Sexual Purity Is Given By Jesus Christ Alone

While there are certainly worse things you could tell a teenager, this logic simply does not translate to our spiritual reality explained in the Bible. We most certainly should teach abstinence, but the motivation behind abstinence is often neglected.

How to Find a Christian Mentor

March 18, 2018January 18, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

In every Christian, whether they would admit it or not, there is a desire to have a strong, wise mentor who is willing to invest in them. Few, however, find a wiser Christian mentor who is willing to help guide them through life, relationships, and ministry as a good mentor should. So how do you find a Christian mentor?

How to Find a Christian Mentor: Don’t Be Self-Centered

“Where are all the mentors?” is often posed as a question but it is really meant to be an accusation against the generation above us. But perhaps the blame does not always lie in the lack of mentors available but also in the demands and expectations of those desiring to be mentored.

What Does the Bible Say About Selfies?

October 24, 2016December 26, 2015 by Mark Ballenger

What does the Bible say about selfies? Nothing, of course, since the idea of taking a picture of yourself and posting it to social media was obviously a foreign concept when the Bible was written. But the Bible does talk a lot about the motivations of the heart, and what makes “selfies” good or bad depends on the inner intent.

The Bible Says Self-Exaltation Is Sin/Bad. Is Your Motive in Posting Selfies Self-Exaltation?

A “selfie”, which is taking a picture of yourself, is not bad. Why we do what we do with that picture will determine if God is pleased or displeased with our actions. Most often, selfies are rooted in self-exaltation.

Is Masturbation Sin?

May 28, 2018November 10, 2015 by Mark Ballenger

Key Bible Verses Proving Masturbation Is a Sin According to Scripture:

5 Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. . . 8 Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. 9 But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion. – 1 Corinthians 7:5, 8-9

Well this is awkward . . . but thousands of Christians are asking questions about masturbation. So here is a blunt, specific, and direct article about how the Bible addresses issues like masturbation. Here we go!

Is It Wrong for Christians to Missionary Date Unbelievers?

February 8, 2018October 30, 2015 by Mark Ballenger

Bible Verses:
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? –2 Corinthians 6:14-15

. . . she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. – 1 Corinthians 7:39 (NIV)

Should Christians date unbelievers? After all, if you are a Christian, can’t you seek to bring someone to Jesus through dating? God has used “missionary dating” for some, so why not for you?

As a single Christian, one of the questions which can dominate the thoughts is, “Who will I marry?” With so little Christians in the world, and even fewer who share the same interests as you, the odds are certainly stacked against a Christian guy or Christian girl seeking “the one.”